丝绸之路

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丝绸之路 [2025/08/11 23:29] – created xiaoer丝绸之路 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== sīchóu zhī lù: 丝绸之路 - The Silk Road ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** Silk Road in Chinese, sī chóu zhī lù, ancient trade route, China history, Belt and Road Initiative, 一带一路, cultural exchange, ancient China, Marco Polo, Chinese trade history. +
-  * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **丝绸之路 (sī chóu zhī lù)**, the legendary **Silk Road in Chinese**. This page explores the rich history of this **ancient trade route**, its profound impact on **cultural exchange** between the East and West, and how its legacy is being reimagined in modern China through the **Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路)**. For anyone interested in **China history** or global trade, understanding the Silk Road is essential. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** sī chóu zhī lù +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Noun +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** The Silk Road, a historical network of trade routes connecting East Asia with Europe and North Africa. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** 丝绸之路 doesn't refer to a single road but to a vast web of interconnected trails and sea lanes that flourished for over 1,500 years. Its name, "The Road of Silk," comes from the most prized commodity that traveled west from China: silk. More than just a commercial highway, it was the world's first great channel for globalization, transmitting technologies, religions (like Buddhism to China), philosophies, and cultures across continents. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **丝 (sī):** Silk, thread. This character pictorially represents fine threads coming from a cocoon. +
-  * **绸 (chóu):** Silk cloth or fabric. It combines the "silk" radical (纟) with a phonetic component (周 zhōu). Together, 丝绸 (sīchóu) is the common word for "silk." +
-  * **之 (zhī):** A grammatical particle from classical Chinese, acting like the English possessive "'s" or the word "of." It links the noun before it to the noun after it. +
-  * **路 (lù):** Road, path, route. The character shows a "foot" (足) and "each" (各), suggesting a path each foot can take. +
-The characters literally combine to mean "Silk's Road" or "The Road of Silk," a perfectly descriptive name for this historic network. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-The 丝绸之路 is a cornerstone of Chinese historical identity and its perception of its place in the world. For centuries, it represented China's connection to distant lands, not as a conqueror, but as the source of unique and highly valued goods and culture—the "Middle Kingdom" (中国) at the center of a vast network. +
-A useful comparison in Western culture is the "Roman Roads." While Roman roads were built primarily for military conquest, legionary movement, and administrative control within a single empire, the Silk Road was a more organic, multi-civilizational network focused on commerce and cultural transmission. The Roman roads symbolize imperial power and internal cohesion; the Silk Road symbolizes international trade and external connection. +
-This historical concept is so powerful that it's the foundation for China's most ambitious modern foreign policy: the "Belt and Road Initiative" (一带一路). The government constantly invokes the spirit of the ancient 丝绸之路—one of peace, prosperity, and mutual benefit—to frame its modern infrastructure and investment projects across Asia, Africa, and Europe. To understand modern Chinese geopolitics, you must first understand the cultural weight of the 丝绸之路. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-The term 丝绸之路 is used in several key contexts today: +
-  * **Historical and Academic:** In museums, documentaries, history books, and academic discussions, it refers strictly to the historical trade network. +
-  * **Political and Economic Rhetoric:** This is its most prominent modern usage. Government officials and state media frequently use "新丝绸之路" (xīn sīchóu zhī lù - New Silk Road) or reference the "spirit of the Silk Road" (丝路精神 - sīlù jīngshén) when discussing the Belt and Road Initiative. It lends historical legitimacy and a positive, cooperative framing to what is a massive economic and geopolitical strategy. +
-  * **Metaphorical Usage:** People might use it metaphorically to describe any channel that facilitates exchange. For instance, a new fiber optic cable connecting continents might be dubbed a "数字丝绸之路" (shùzì sīchóu zhī lù - Digital Silk Road), or an academic exchange program could be called a "知识丝绸之路" (zhīshì sīchóu zhī lù - Knowledge Silk Road). +
-Its connotation is almost universally positive, evoking images of adventure, cultural richness, and shared prosperity. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 历史上，**丝绸之路**是连接东西方的重要贸易通道。 +
-    * Pinyin: Lìshǐ shàng, **sīchóu zhī lù** shì liánjiē dōngxīfāng de zhòngyào màoyì tōngdào. +
-    * English: Historically, the Silk Road was an important trade corridor connecting the East and the West. +
-    * Analysis: A straightforward historical statement you would find in a textbook. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 张骞出使西域，正式开辟了这条伟大的**丝绸之路**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhāng Qiān chūshǐ Xīyù, zhèngshì kāipì le zhè tiáo wěidà de **sīchóu zhī lù**. +
-    * English: The diplomat Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions officially opened this great Silk Road. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence names the historical figure often credited with "opening" the route during the Han Dynasty. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 很多游客梦想着能沿着古代**丝绸之路**旅行。 +
-    * Pinyin: Hěn duō yóukè mèngxiǎng zhe néng yánzhe gǔdài **sīchóu zhī lù** lǚxíng. +
-    * English: Many tourists dream of being able to travel along the ancient Silk Road. +
-    * Analysis: This shows how the term is used in the context of tourism and modern adventure. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 除了丝绸，香料和瓷器也是**丝绸之路**上重要的商品。 +
-    * Pinyin: Chúle sīchóu, xiāngliào hé cíqì yěshì **sīchóu zhī lù** shàng zhòngyào de shāngpǐn. +
-    * English: Besides silk, spices and porcelain were also important goods on the Silk Road. +
-    * Analysis: This example highlights the variety of goods traded on the route. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 佛教就是通过**丝绸之路**传入中国的。 +
-    * Pinyin: Fójiào jiùshì tōngguò **sīchóu zhī lù** chuánrù Zhōngguó de. +
-    * English: Buddhism was introduced to China via the Silk Road. +
-    * Analysis: This points to the route's critical role in cultural and religious exchange. The `是...的` (shì...de) structure is used here to emphasize the means of transmission. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * "一带一路"倡议被称为“新**丝绸之路**”。 +
-    * Pinyin: "Yīdài Yīlù" chàngyì bèi chēngwéi “xīn **sīchóu zhī lù**”. +
-    * English: The "Belt and Road" Initiative is called the "New Silk Road". +
-    * Analysis: This explicitly connects the historical term to its modern political successor. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 这座博物馆有一个关于**丝绸之路**的专题展览。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhè zuò bówùguǎn yǒu yīgè guānyú **sīchóu zhī lù** de zhuāntí zhǎnlǎn. +
-    * English: This museum has a special exhibition about the Silk Road. +
-    * Analysis: A practical sentence you might use when looking for cultural activities. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 我们的目标是建立一条连接全球科学家的“知识**丝绸之路**”。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒmen de mùbiāo shì jiànlì yītiáo liánjiē quánqiú kēxuéjiā de “zhīshì **sīchóu zhī lù**”. +
-    * English: Our goal is to establish a "knowledge Silk Road" connecting scientists globally. +
-    * Analysis: A clear example of the term's metaphorical usage in a modern, non-historical context. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 海上**丝绸之路**在宋朝和元朝时期非常繁荣。 +
-    * Pinyin: Hǎishàng **sīchóu zhī lù** zài Sòng cháo hé Yuán cháo shíqī fēicháng fánróng. +
-    * English: The Maritime Silk Road was very prosperous during the Song and Yuan dynasties. +
-    * Analysis: This specifies the sea-based routes, an important and often overlooked part of the network. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * **丝绸之路**的精神在于和平合作、开放包容。 +
-    * Pinyin: **Sīchóu zhī lù** de jīngshén zàiyú hépíng hézuò, kāifàng bāoróng. +
-    * English: The spirit of the Silk Road lies in peaceful cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence reflects the official government rhetoric surrounding the concept, highlighting the values it is meant to represent today. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **Not a Single Paved Road:** The most common mistake is visualizing the 丝绸之路 as a single, continuous road like a modern highway. It was a shifting network of caravan trails, oasis stops, and mountain passes. When speaking of it, it's better to think of a "network" or "corridor" than a "road." +
-  * **A Western Coinage:** Ironically, the term "Silk Road" (and its Chinese translation 丝绸之路) is a modern invention. It was coined in 1877 by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen. Ancient Chinese texts referred to specific routes by different names. So, while it's the standard term now, it wasn't used during the eras it describes. +
-  * **`丝绸之路` vs. `一带一路`:** Do not use these terms interchangeably. `丝绸之路` refers to the **historical** network. `一带一路` (Yīdài Yīlù), the "Belt and Road Initiative," is the **modern** Chinese government's geopolitical and economic strategy. While the latter is inspired by the former, confusing the two can lead to misunderstandings, especially in formal or political discussions. You can call the BRI the "New Silk Road" (新丝绸之路), but they are not the same thing. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[一带一路]] (yīdài yīlù) - The Belt and Road Initiative. The modern geo-economic strategy directly inspired by the historical Silk Road. +
-  * [[张骞]] (zhāng qiān) - The Han Dynasty envoy whose journeys are credited with formally establishing the Silk Road. +
-  * [[敦煌]] (dūnhuáng) - A major oasis city, fortress, and Buddhist center along the Silk Road, famous for the Mogao Caves. +
-  * [[西域]] (xīyù) - "The Western Regions." The historical Chinese name for the vast area west of China, primarily Central Asia, which the Silk Road traversed. +
-  * [[文化交流]] (wénhuà jiāoliú) - Cultural exchange. This is considered one of the most important legacies of the Silk Road. +
-  * [[贸易]] (màoyì) - Trade, commerce. The fundamental purpose of the Silk Road. +
-  * [[骆驼]] (luòtuo) - Camel. The iconic "ship of the desert" and primary mode of transport for caravans on the Silk Road. +
-  * [[海上丝绸之路]] (hǎishàng sīchóu zhī lù) - The Maritime Silk Road. The network of sea routes that complemented the overland paths, connecting China to Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and Africa.+